Mr. Shimerda Speaks about Moving to Nebraska

"Standing before them (Jim Burden and his grandmother) with his hand on Antonia's shoulder, Mr. Shimerda talked in a low tone, and his daughter (Antonia) translated. He wanted us to know that they were not beggars in the old country; he made good wages, and his family was respected there. He left Bohemia with more than a thousand dollars in savings, after their passage money was paid. He had in some way lost on exchange in New York, and the railway fare to Nebraska was more than they had expected. By the time they paid Krajiek for the land, and bought his horses and oxen and some old farm machinery, they had very little money left. He wished grandmother to know, however, that he still had some money. If they could get through until spring came, they would pay a cow and chickens and plant a garden, and would do very well."
From Book One, The Shimerdas, My Antonia by Willa Cather